Now, I am sure many of you are familiar with the story, so I will not bore you with further details. What the story does do is establish a world rich in tradition with plenty of back story to play around with. No, it is not the deepest of tales, seemingly more interested in flash and style more than substance; however, the pieces are there to build your own compelling take on the events leading up to this story.
The acting is laced with over the top histrionics that could send a sensitive viewer into a tizzy. I actually enjoyed them. Kate Beckinsale brings a cold and calculated, yet vulnerable demeanor to Selene that is downright captivating (not to mention the outfit). Michael Sheen's wild-eyed Lucian hides conflicted emotion behind his desires to kill Viktor. Then there is Bill Nighy, memorable in darn near every role I have seen him in brings an aggressive, clipped twitchiness to every line. It is brilliant.
Len Wiseman is the man behind the camera and he has a good eye. The movie is nothing if not stylish. In his first big screen test he succeeds in making a movie that has modest aspirations and walks the fine line of substance and style. No, it is not terribly substantial, but there is a lot of information there to be mined, while you do have plenty of style to watch.
Audio/Video. The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 ratio and it looks really good. This is the best it has looked since the big screen, easily better than my memories of the last DVD release. It is a dark film and it is well represented here, never losing detail, and always being nice and clear. The audio is no different, there is an uncompressed 5.1 PCM track that sounds great, crisp, clear, and nice use of surrounds. Right from the start, the audio commands your attention, not just the dialogue, but each roar, every gunshot has weight, almost as if it was happening right there in the room with you. It is not just the effects or dialogue, the score from Paul Haslinger shines through, helping add to the blue-tinted visuals creating atmosphere. Time to retire the DVD.
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